Former directors and officers of an insolvent corporation sought an order requiring that an environmental remediation claim filed by the provincial environment ministry be adjudicated within ongoing insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
They also sought to stay an appeal proceeding before the Environmental Review Tribunal concerning a director’s order requiring remediation of a contaminated site.
The court held that the statutory scheme under the Environmental Protection Act assigns jurisdiction over appeals of director’s environmental orders to the Environmental Review Tribunal.
Given that the insolvency restructuring had effectively concluded and no plan of arrangement would compromise claims against the directors and officers, there was no basis for the insolvency court to assume jurisdiction over the environmental order appeal.
The court rejected arguments based on federal paramountcy and interjurisdictional immunity.
The motion was dismissed and the matter left to the Environmental Review Tribunal.
